SK c30s02
Text Scrivener Blooms shivered and pressed his face down against the bedding in their apartment, a blanket over his body, Luna silently, slowly massaging his back as Twilight and Celestia sat and looked down at him: one with compassion, the other with a tremble of fear as Luna grimaced a little every now and then. Their armor lay discarded, and Celestia had even thrown off her crown, leaving her standing in only her peytral plate as the violet pony asked quietly: "Is he going to be okay, Luna? I… I mean… you're…" "We are connected in mind, body and soul, Twilight Sparkle… and we feel one another's pain, one another's emotions… but this is not just about that. This is deeper… and the corruption from the Tyrant Wyrm preys specifically upon Scrivener Blooms. It has spread into him… not like infection, but more subtle than that… like a sentient shadow, that no matter how you run from, or where you turn, always follows. Always blankets… always stays in thy mind and covers thy gaze." Luna whispered, continuing to slowly, soothingly rub up and down Scrivy's back as the male twitched a bit and closed his eyes tightly, looking humiliated as he trembled weakly. "Celestia, art thou sure…" "I could soothe his mind, sister, yes… I could calm him through magic, but it would only delay the effects, and possibly worsen them." She stopped, then looked quietly at Luna, softening as the sapphire winged unicorn clenched her eyes shut. "Let the mental battle run its course. None of us here doubt in him… and you have nothing to be ashamed of, Scrivener Blooms." "Crying like a child… rollicking in misery after others have died… no shame there at all…" Scrivener mumbled weakly, and then he grimaced as Sammy skittered in front of him, wincing visibly at the sight of the pseudodragon: just like with Pinkamena, he could see… something else. Not just a skeleton… but a shade of the blue-eyed, red-scaled little pet that had once been, as Sammy chirped worriedly at him. "It's… oh my head…" Scrivy reached up and grabbed at his skull with a quiet curse of pain, and Twilight shook her head slowly before she silently stepped forwards and laid down, curling herself on one side of Scrivener Blooms… and he closed his eyes, feeling her body through the blankets, shivering a bit again. When he looked at her now, he saw a strange glow about her, and her eyes were so deep, like entire worlds… and he twitched violently before burying his face against the bedding with a curse as terrible images and shadows ripped through his mind, as he heard whispers of the Black Verses in his head… but beneath it all, he could still feel Luna's love, Luna's dedication, Luna's touch… and it was all that kept him sane, as he murmured: "The Tyrant Wyrm…" "Strange, the subject thou seeks answers for, the stories thou wishes to hear, when thou art already suffering enough. Scrivener Blooms, thou art an awful, horrible masochist." Luna chastised quietly, even as she pressed down against his back gently… and then she nodded with a soft sigh as she glanced across at Celestia, saying quietly: "'Twas not what I had expected. Had I understood what we faced, I would have gone to battle it alone. Had I understood…" She shook her head slowly as Sammy whimpered and skittered across the floor, then murmured: "The Tyrant Wyrms… came in many shapes, but all were awful. All could match the fiercest dragon… and all knew the Black Verses. It is not simple magic… they are words of a lost, forbidden language, prayers and sick praises to that which they glorify in. Words of awful power… words that let them attack the minds of their victims, and exert influence and control over even the strongest-willed. That allow them to summon up emotions, feelings, images, memories so vivid, so painful that… thou saw for thyself what they did." Luna closed her eyes, and Twilight shivered, whispering: "Even from far away, I… my mind was filled with… awful things. It felt like pressure, like… pain… like… endless malice. But… Scrivy… then…" "Because he is a poet." Luna smiled a little, glancing up, and Twilight frowned at this as Scrivener laughed dryly against the bedding. "Sister and I… to a point, are immune to the Black Verses. We have been… exposed to them. We have spoken them, and understood… a little of them. My immunity must have been passed on to Scrivener Blooms by our mixed souls… but moreover, was enhanced by two things. One, Scrivener's grasp of words… his respect for them. That words have great power… that spoken or written, words can have devastating, terrible effects, and the knowledge that one does not always need to understand a word… to know its meaning. Two, was another thing I have always admired about him… his ability to acknowledge that in pain, and in darkness… there can still be beauty, and there can still be… lessons worth taking from even the worst of evils. That even evil… can be understood, and even guided." "I'm evil." Scrivener Blooms mumbled, and Twilight looked at him softly as Celestia gazed down at him quietly, Scrivy raising his head and laughing weakly as he looked up at the ivory equine quietly. "I'm… sorry. I… this isn't from Luna, I want you to know that. This is from me… from… whatever's inside me. I always had myself convinced, arrogantly, that I was just better able to process things at a distance than everyone else… but now I see the truth. I'm evil. I'm sadistic. I'm even worse than Pinkamena… because the reason that these horrible images of torture, gore, and mutilation haven't driven me insane is because some… awful, corrupt, dark part of me… almost…" He clenched his eyes shut, dropping his face forwards against the bedding as Twilight gazed at him silently, trembling a little, before Celestia leaned down and said softly: "Calm yourself, Scrivener Blooms. There is no need to be so sad… there is no need to suffer over this. Your mind is confused and filled with shattered images and broken feelings. The only thing the Tyrant Wyrms hold as sacred is their Black Verses, which tell the stories of their kind, of their 'beliefs,' if a lust for destruction, for consuming and corrupting everything around them to their image, can be called belief… and with courage, you used that against them. As my sister fought death with death… you blasted evil with evil, countering its words, using the very knowledge it tried to torture and destroy you with to interrupt and confuse its own speech. Without your aid, Scrivener Blooms… more would have died. More would have fallen." Scrivener Blooms was silent as Celestia gazed down at him quietly, saying softly: "We all make mistakes. We all do awful things… but it is our choice what we do with the powers we are given, is it not? I am supposed to be the ultimate icon of good in Equestria, and there is more innocent blood on my hooves than most Equestrians would believe. And my little sister is supposed to be evil… but she has saved more lives than I ever did, and likely ever will. Scrivener Blooms, do not lay in self-doubt and self-inflicted misery… angst does not suit you." Scrivy smiled a little at this, and Luna laughed quietly as she slowly rubbed up along her back, Twilight closing her eyes before the winged unicorn leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. "She's right, you know. But I… I have to ask… did… you learn anything from its mind? Did you understand what it said, was that how you knew that…" She fell quiet, and Scrivener closed his eyes as Luna lowered her head, before the sapphire winged unicorn cleared her throat and forced herself to look up, saying quietly: "The Tyrant Wyrm forced countless years of knowledge of torture, pain, desire, and destruction in its own memories into Scrivener's mind… filling up that thankfully-empty space." Luna smiled faintly down at him, knocking quietly on the back of the equine's skull, and Scrivener couldn't help but laugh weakly… but weak or not, all the same it helped drive back the awful shadows in his mind, helped neutralize some of the corruption wreaking havoc through his brain with enough force to make even Luna twitch now and then. "Scrivener learned much… enough to understand when it spoke to us. Enough to know…" She shook her head slowly, then glanced up as there was a quiet knock at the door before it opened, Cowlick hesitantly leaning in and smiling faintly as she said softly: "Sorry to disturb you all… but… I know you wanted to hear right away if we found anything. We… like you asked, Luna, we checked out that place on the map, the fountain that… Rainbow Dash…" Cowlick closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. "That was marked on the map. Me and Aleksandr and his boys. I didn't think anything was wrong – except for the fact those unicorn assholes are still hiding away in their goddamn houses instead of coming out to at least thank us for everything we did for their sorry, undeserving selves – and then Aleksandr started smashing the fountain up with his hammer. I thought he was just going crazy, and I wasn't about to stop him either way, but then he broke the ice apart and started hauling it up and…" She shivered, shaking her head, and Luna said softly, unsurprised: "How many dead ponies did thou find?" "I'm not even surprised you're not surprised." Cowlick looked up grimly, shaking her head slowly as Celestia's eyes darkened. "No less than a dozen of them, frozen, obviously ritual sacrifices from the symbols carved into their bodies. Aleksandr found something he referred to as ereticheskie is'ma on these weird-carved gemstones he smashed up… he made me remember those words when I was coming to tell you. Very serious guy, but way smarter than I gave him credit for at first, I'll tell you that. And a lot… a hell of a lot… of respect for Rainbow Dash." She stopped, looking down… then she glanced up as Luna murmured: "Then the pieces fall into place. The Dead Dolls were given to the Tyrant Wyrm by Wisehorse to ensure that it could feed upon the souls of those lured by them… and the Tyrant Wyrm was guided here by a sacrificial beacon. In this dark and awful place, after all, who would notice one more black spot amidst the decay?" She shook her head, then grimaced and asked distastefully: "And Swiftly Wing, the outlaw? Was there any sign of her?" "Fled and gone. Ross said that the moment Scarlet Sage went…" Cowlick grimaced a little, but Luna only shook her head and gestured for her to go on, despite the pain it brought her and Scrivy. "The moment she got… strange… Swiftly got scared and ran away, abandoned them both. And Ross… Ross didn't know what to do. One moment she was a harmless little filly, the next… Fluttershy is…" She shivered, and Luna looked down as Twilight closed her eyes, a shudder going through her body before Cowlick looked up and asked finally: "Don't take this the wrong way, but… if… Scarlet… I mean…" "She was controlled, Cowlick, 'twas not her fault!" Luna said forcefully, and Cowlick winced back before Celestia reached a hoof up to touch Luna's shoulder, the starry-maned winged unicorn gritting her teeth before she sighed and murmured: "'Twas not her fault. Wisehorse must be ancient and powerful, and is far, far more cunning than I had ever anticipated… he dyed the mane of the doll he gave us with his own blood. He used his own blood to poison Scarlet Sage, to taint her emotions and force her to do his bidding… while he probably waited in a safe place, knowing that we were engaged with the Tyrant Wyrm." "If he and his Blood Seers were able to battle and suppress the monster, we cannot underestimate them… we have never fought a Tyrant Wyrm that willingly worked alongside another race before. The few rumors of alliances we heard were always short-lasted and quickly-broken… all the Tyrant Wyrms crave is destruction, after all." Celestia added softly, and then she nodded to Cowlick as the earth pony quietly excused herself, leaving the four in silence. Finally, Twilight leaned against Scrivener Blooms as she gazed at Luna and Celestia, asking softly: "But… what… was it? Discombobulation was terrified of it, I've never seen him so… serious, so scared. He kept saying to stay out of the fight, and that his powers would be useless against it… said that you two were our only hope to stop it." Celestia smiled faintly at this, Luna lowering her head… and then Scrivener Blooms sighed softly as he whispered: "Who knows? Even with all the knowledge in my mind… most of it is just horrible, scattered images of terrible things. There's… the emotions are alien. Aren't even emotions, really… they're just hunger, and anger, and the Black Verses…" He clenched his eyes shut, shuddering a little, and Luna laid her body slowly down overtop his, embracing him silently, fiercely around the neck before the earth pony murmured: "They're like machines. Like those gun turrets… programmed to destroy everything in their path. And that makes me think that… the only reason a Tyrant Wyrm would work with Wisehorse… is if he really did intend to bring Ragnarok. Really did want to bring that chance to destroy the entire world… to burn and purge it all into nothingness…" Scrivy clenched his eyes shut, a shudder rolling through his frame as more terrible images sparked through his mind, smelling charring meat, hearing the clank of chains and rumble of earth and awful screams… and then he opened his eyes and shook his head briefly, shivering for a moment before he looked quietly towards Twilight Sparkle… and smiled faintly despite himself as she reached up and touched his cheek quietly. "This is what Pinkamena meant by seeing beneath things… Horses of Heaven, I don't blame her for being such a jerk all the time. Everything… seeing what lurks beneath…" "It's okay, Scrivy." Twilight said softly: simple words, but they were soothing all the same, and Scrivener closed his eyes, resting his head down against the bedding before Twilight looked quietly towards Luna and Celestia, asking quietly: "And about tomorrow… about… going. To end all this…" "The Black Baroque is not a great distance from here… if we leave in the morning, we should arrive before nightfall… assuming there are not too many threats upon the road. I see now why thou did not wish to risk telling me its location, sister…" Luna glanced towards Celestia, smiling faintly. "'Tis not so deep in the mountains I would have been hesitant in the pursuit. And like as not… had I gone chasing…" She shook her head slowly, then glanced up with a frown as there was another knock at their door, before Cowlick once more stuck her head in grimaced, muttering: "Sorry to disturb you again, and… even sorrier to tell you this, but… Queen Celestia, Champion Luna… Twilight and Scrivy… North Neigh's leaders are here. They… want to have a word." Luna gritted her teeth at this, but Celestia only nodded calmly, saying quietly: "Tell them we will be a moment…" She paused, glancing towards the open window with a frown, looking out at a small cluster of unicorns standing nervously outside in the pale light cast from the streetlamps. "Sister, shall I attend to this alone?" "No, no…" Scrivener Blooms murmured, and Luna sighed quietly as he fidgeted beneath her before she winced and stepped aside, Twilight Sparkle apprehensively climbing to her own hooves as Scrivy stood… then nodded and lowered his head, saying softly: "Luna and I… should be there too. But afterwards… a little sleep is in order. I'm… at least I'm too exhausted to get into another brawl with Brambles." Celestia nodded slowly… and she led the way outside, Luna following quietly and tossing nervous glances to her husband, as Twilight brought up the rear behind Scrivener's dragging hooves. They were all tired, all exhausted, all beaten, and when Scrivy looked up at Celestia, he could see flares of red amidst the glowing white shape that seemed to both be above and below the immense winged unicorn's body… and he shook his head sharply, trying to dispel his nervous thoughts as they stepped outside and into the road. Celestia and Luna both stepped forwards, gazing silently, imperiously down at Bramblethorn, Caprice, and a few other unicorns, as Scutum stood off to the side… and when Celestia glanced towards him, he saluted her sharply before saying in a crisp, calm voice: "Queen Celestia, Chancellor Bramblethorn and Mayor Caprice wish to extend their condolences and congratulations. I have already officially resigned my post, however, so I cannot speak further for them. Which they should both know, as well as the rest of the council." He glared at them, and then, near the back, Glitzy Gem leaned to the side, waving a hoof and calling eagerly: "Scrivener, Scrivener Blooms! You remember me, right? Tell your beautiful friends you remember me, we were foals together and-" "Shut up." Bramblethorn said moodily over his shoulder, and immediately the unicorn petered to a halt and flushed, hiding back amongst the congregation before Bramblethorn swallowed as he looked forwards, gritting his teeth and grinding them loudly together as he looked over the four, Luna gazing at him coldly and Celestia looking down with imperial expressionless. "Your… highness… it was brought to our attention that you arrived earlier. It was also brought to our attention – the unicorn council's, that is – that… you and your… your… subjects-" "They are not my subjects. They are my friends… they are my family." Celestia said softly, meeting Bramblethorn's eyes… and he quailed back a bit from her: her stance hid no malice, her tone was cordial… and yet all the same, the feeling in the air was clear: the winged unicorn was not to be trifled with. "I was not the one who saved you… yes, I aided them, but that was all it was. Assistance. They have suffered for you… and they have also suffered under what you have done to them. If you are here to thank anypony, thank them… or leave." "W-Well, it's just an honor, a real, a true… honor… to see you…" Caprice said quickly, stepping forwards as Bramblethorn looked down in dull disbelief. "I mean… Queen of Equestria, in our little town! I… the moment we heard, of course… and… a-and if we had known, really, that there was… violence… going on, well, you know, you can be sure that we would have-" "Do not lie, worm." Luna said coldly, narrowing her eyes and silencing Caprice with a squeak. "Thou, in mania, accused Scrivener Bloom of being a sorcerer and… casting some dubious hex upon thy fetid little speck of a town! And thou hast done nothing but protect thyself… in fact, we know the vile machines thou has equipped thy elitist little snobbery microcosm of a unicorn village with were programmed to fire at anything not unicorn nor Pegasus, including myself!" "Is this true?" Celestia asked quietly, and when Caprice only whimpered and shrank back, the other unicorns that were with her shuffling awkwardly, the ivory equine said softly: "I want those machines dismantled and destroyed by the time I return. I believe we will be making a special detour through this village after we have taken care of business in the mountains tomorrow… just as I believe that when I return, you will all be working in conjunction with the earth ponies, not enslaving them to your will." "But why?" Bramblethorn burst out, stepping forwards and looking up at her… and what made it more terrible was that it wasn't anger, or hatred… it was honest confusion, tinged with despair, as he looked towards Scrivener and said sharply: "They're… weaker than us! They are less than us… we can do anything, anything, their kind can do… but better, faster, and with even greater ease! This is only natural order!" Celestia looked at him quietly… and then she stepped forwards and tilted her horn downwards only slightly, the faintest of glows surrounding it… and surrounding Bramblethorn, hefting him into the air as he began to flail weakly, gargling quietly as bands of pressure encircled his body as she said softly: "Then I am superior to you. Do you not see the flaw in your reasoning? You can lift a rock… but I?" Celestia glanced with distaste towards the abandoned building, and it rumbled, windows cracking, wood shattering, as the entire structure shook and then began to slowly rise visibly upwards, boards tearing as it ripped free from the ground. "I can move mountains if I wish to. You can light a candle? I can move the sun, and cover an entire world with its glow. You can speak harsh words and kick around those who believe themselves beneath you… but I can speak calmly, and intelligently, and in the past bent even dragons to my will through soft conversation and unstoppable strategy." Celestia's eyes flashed, and the rumbling, floating abandoned building was dropped, crashing down and half-collapsing in on itself in a burst of snow and dust, chunks of glass and broken board falling down the front of it as the roof caved in slightly and Celestia flicked her horn downwards, tossing Bramblethorn down to the frozen road. He bounced once with a grunt of pain, flopping stupidly onto all fours, then stared up with horror as she stepped slowly forwards. He skittered backwards, rasping weakly, the unicorns staring up at her with terror as she shook her head and gazed over them with disappointment and contempt. "I did not expect things to be so bad here. To be so isolated, so trapped in old, barbaric ways… the earth ponies, the Pegasi, and the unicorns need each other. They have always needed each other and will always need each other… because despite our differences, we are still all only ponies. Working together is essential to our survival… proving that we are superior because some are blessed with powers others do not is pointless. "You all remind me… of the pony I once was. Perhaps that is why I feel such contempt for you… but if I was able to change, perhaps it means there is hope." Celestia said softly, looking slowly back and forth over the unicorns, and Luna glanced at this admission with surprise… but Celestia only gave a faint smile to her sister before she returned her eyes to the unicorns. "There will be soldiers, weary, and wounded staying here. It would reflect well upon North Neigh if they received aid while staying here and recovering from what they just survived. It would also be beneficial if you would leave us in peace for the rest of the night: I understand having questions and desiring answers, but I believe you will afford us this courtesy, won't you?" "I…" Caprice glanced nervously at Bramblethorn, and he only nodded tiredly, the mayor swallowing a bit before she bowed quickly to Celestia and turned, quickly trotting away with a wince. The other unicorns followed… all except Bramblethorn, who stood and looked silently at Scrivener Blooms as Scrivy looked quietly back. Celestia excused herself with a silent nod, and Twilight hesitated before following her, Luna and Scrivy standing in the cold, frost-covered road across from Bramblethorn before the unicorn strode suddenly forwards, halting in front of him, looking down at the earth pony with misery in his eyes as he whispered: "Why didn't you just stay gone, slave hoof? I would have preferred to have died than see this day come, after I gained so much, so fast…" "Wisehorse. William Isehorse… he helped you get into power here, didn't he?" Scrivener Blooms looked quietly at the unicorn, and Bramblethorn nodded with a snort of disgust. "What did you do for him?" "I don't have to answer to you. I'll never, ever answer or bow my head to you again…" Bramblethorn hesitated all the same, however, and it wasn't just at the glare Luna favored him with. Nor was it remorse… it was something else, before Bramblethorn muttered in a half-prideful voice: "Fine, you want to know? Helped him set up his shop. Introduced him to other unicorns, and showed him around town. Then, once I was elected, I got him the deeds for a few landmarks he was interested in, like the old fountain. In return, he told me I'd never have to worry, that he'd always watch out for me. And unicorns, unlike slave-hoofs, keep their word." Scrivener Blooms looked silently at his father… and then he shook his head slowly, and without another word, he turned and left, Luna following after him, leaving Bramblethorn standing abandoned by all on the cold road, not even seeming to understand how alone he was. Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story